Nader, Kerry to Discuss Defeating Bush

[Paragon]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20040329/D81JN2600.html

ATLANTA (AP) - Ralph Nader said Sunday he will meet with John Kerry next month to discuss the effort to defeat President Bush in the November election.

While stressing that he is still a competitor in the race, the independent presidential hopeful said he views his candidacy as a "second front against Bush, however small."

Following a speech on the environment at Georgia State University, Nader stepped up his attacks on Bush, describing the Republican incumbent as "a giant corporation residing in the White House camouflaging as a human being."

"George W. Bush's values are corporate values," Nader told reporters. And he said the administration "should spend more time waging peace ... than waging a military conflict."

(more)

[coloradodem2005]

1. Oh Please tell me Nader is coming to his senses.

[IronLionZion]

2. as delusional and egotistic as he is,

he may be persuaded to stay away from the battleground states. And certainly we can get his supporters and Greens to vote for Kerry.

[Melodybe]

3. Oh Damn! I wasn't expecting this! Shrub is going down!

[tedoll78]

6. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's pretty obvious.. when you combine Nader and Gore's 2000 numbers, an easy majority of people in America voted to go Left. Now, when we look at most current polls, it's deja vu. The American people want to go to the Left.. we just need to vote strategically.

I readily admit.. I have strong dislike for Nader. But if he and Kerry were to work-out a deal where Kerry urges people in certain states to vote him while he urges his swing state supporters to vote Kerry, I'd have to strongly consider casting my vote for Nader (if only to show support for the newfound cooperation).

I truly hope this bears fruit. If we cooperate, this could be a scenario where everyone wins. The nation and its voters move to the Left as a whole, making it that much politically easier to implement legislation that addresses Nader/Green concerns. I hope my heart doesn't get broken..

[nodehopper]

17. Nader isn't even running as a Green this time around, right?

[tkmorris]

19. No, the Green Party said no (eom)

[He loved Big Brother]

31. Please tell me the Democrats are coming to their senses as well

And finally listening to the concerns of the more liberal faction of their base. It's not as small as the media would like us to believe.

Then it can be "all your base are belong to us" in Novemeber. ;)

[unblock]

4. what did kerry offer nader?

secretary of labor?

[SquireJons]

22. How about Secretary of the Interior?

He's a trusted environmentalist. I think he could do some good there.

[yellowcanine]

25. No - Nader is not an administrator

He would be a disaster as administrator, whether Dept of Interior, EPA, whatever. Nader is an activist. While having a progressive activist running Interior or EPA would be better than a conservative activist (Gale Norton, James Watt) it still is not a good idea. I don't think Kerry needs to offer Nader anything, other than the promise that he will be a good steward of the environment and work for progressive ideals in labor, world trade, etc. If anything, maybe Nader could be some kind of special ambassador to the world wide peace/fair trade movement.

[CheshireCat]

29. Trade off

I bet the trade off is that Kerry will appoint "Nader-approved" candidates in certain positions such as EPA, Dept. of Interior, etc.

I don't think Nader would want the job. He is an activist first.

I've had great respect for Nader since the 1960's. His run in 2000 upset me. His run in 2004 had me thinking that he had early senility. Thank goodness he seems to understand the importance of defeating the bush.

Come on, Nader. Deal with Kerry and we will be rid of the chimp!

[AngryYoungMan]

5. Best news I've heard all week.

eom

[coloradodem2005]

8. When you consider all of the other good news this week.

[FloridaPat]

7. When he decided to run for president, he said his goal was

to defeat Bush and he told the Democrats not to worry about anything.

[PartyPooper]

9. "See the USA...in a Chevrolet"...that was the jingle of the 60's.

Just one more time. Please, Ralph, drive into the sunset in a 1960 Corvair. PLEASE!

And, don't let the car door hit you on the way out of Dodge!

:hi:

[peacetalksforall]

10. This headline doesn't mesh with a parallel thread...

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x447847>

Republicans are giving money to Nader. I don't think he can be trusted. Be leary.

[heidler]

11. Lets hope it's con to get Republican money.

Remember this time around the Republicans are grasping at straws.

[newyawker99]

32. Hi heidler!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ultramega]

12. Kerry/O'neill debate from 1971 on C-span now

Dick Cavett show. Just starting. 12:55 a.m.

[progressivebydesign]

13. Don't get TOO happy!!! grrrrr...

I just read this on the KING5 TV site from Seattle:

<<SALEM - Oregon could become the first state to officially register Ralph Nader as a presidential candidate for the November ballot.
All the citizen activist needs in Oregon is 1,000 registered voters to gather in one place, and sign their names on a petition.
Nader probably will have no problem getting those signatures when he shows up at a Portland theater on April 5. >>

Does THAT look like a man that wants to have the Democrats win? Or does it look like a man that is being paid by the GOP to hurt Kerry? Oregon? Oregon should go to Kerry.. why the fuck is Nader doing this?

[Zero Gravitas]

33. of course he doesn't want us to win

why else would he be running?

[pacifictiger]

14. Maybe Nader

got the message from President Carter loud and clear.

[w4rma]

15. I'm cautiously optimistic. (nt)

[DrZhivago]

16. how would a Kerry/Nader ticket fare?

interesting huh

[nodehopper]

18. no way

That would be strategic suicide for Kerry. He needs someone middle-of-the-road, preferably who would help him take the South.

[Chicago Democrat]

20. Nader would be better as head of EPA or OSHA

[ProfessorGAC]

28. I'll Go With OSHA

I think EPA finally needs to be headed up by a scientist not an administrator. I think it will encourage better work in the field.

OSHA isn't as much about science as it is enforcement and discovery. Nader would be better suited to that role than EPA. It's not a Nader shortcoming as much as a desire on my part to see scientists run the science divisions.
The Professor

[SquireJons]

23. Very Poorly

How does "Bush wins re-election by a landslide" grab you? Nader is a fringe candidate with no moderate appeal at all. I hope he has come to his sences and will work with the Dems to re-defeat The Worst president In US HIstory.

It's about time he went after shrub; just 4 years too late for the poor souls who have died because of *.

[Skywalker]

21. At the meeting

I think Nader will try to impose his agenda on Kerry. I would not be surprised if Nader tells Kerry that if he adopts a certain number of his key planks, he will remove himself from the race. I bet Nader would be pleased with himself if he could affect change in the Democratic party and is not opposed to blackmail to get his way.


Mark

[samsingh]

24. i would love to have Nader's support in defeating the evil shrub

[Zero Gravitas]

34. I would too

but that would necessarily mean Nader dropping out of the election right now before he does further damage, and I just don't see an egomaniac like Nader doing that.

[John_H]

26. Kerry should offer Ralph a few thousand shares of ketchup stock

Bet ralph would drop out tomorrow morning if the price were right.

[dArKeR]

27. I really like Nader and his expertise/speaking from his mind and not

pre-written speeches! He can handle any question ''The Dogs of Media' throw at him.

[CBHagman]

30. I take this as good news.

It shows that neither of them is ignoring the other, which is at least a start. I'm not for Nader running as a third-party candidate (check history for how helpful that is), but if he's going to discuss strategy, that's a welcome sign.

[Crachet2004]

35. Maybe the heat is finally getting to Nader.

I wonder how well he is really doing, getting on the ballot around the country. There have to be people booing and hissing everywhere he goes.

I also flatly do not believe he has 5 to 7 percent support, as the polls show. No freaking way.

Kerry is a genuine liberal and that should be good enough for everyone. But elections are won from the center, for the most part. We can't be loaded down with a bunch of baggage that only 2 percent feel strongly about, and still win. What we do AFTER we win is a different story.

Like last time. Al Gore is a genuine environmentalist and could have won last time, and done a whole world of good for numerous other leftist causes, but nooooo, that was'nt good enough for some people.

SOME people had to cut their own throats, and everyone else's too, and enable George Bush to win, by voting for Nader. The margin would have been too large for the nonsense in Florida to have occurred, without Nader. And Nader LAUGHED about it...I saw it on television. No remourse whatsoever.

No, Ralph will continue on if he can just get the heat turned down a little, I would say. It must be getting intolerable for him. Just about time for the creme pies to fly, would be my guess. That big ego could never take it.

But if Kerry cuts a deal to send him as Ambassador to Outer Mongolia, for dropping out, I would certainly approve.

[dalelum]

36. Definately less than 5-7 percent support

Remember that Nader needs to get on the ballot in each state. Even with Green Party support he had a hard time in 2000, and wasn't successful in every state. He simply doesn't have the base this time. Even if the 5-7 percent polling is correct, actual votes nationwide will be substantially less because people simply won't have the option of voting for him.